1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of thermally responsive switches and/or sensors for microchips or biological microelectromechanical systems (bio-MEMS), and more specifically, to the switches and/or sensors utilizing thermally responsive polymers.
2. Background Information
When microchips and/or MEMS are used in many devices and applications, they are frequently subjected to temperature changes. To ensure optimal conditions for functioning the microchips and/or MEMS, there exist a need to control and/or regulate the temperature of the microchip and/or MEMS. In many applications it is important to quickly and precisely measure the temperature on the external surface of the microchip and/or MEMS. It is also important to be able to maintain the temperature at a constant, predetermined level. Currently, thermocouples are used for these purposes.
While thermocouples can provide good temperature control, they have some drawbacks and disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the thermocouples allow to measure the temperature only at a very narrow spot of the surface of the microchip. In general, a thermocouple can show the temperature at a point where it is attached to the surface, but cannot provide the accurate information about the temperature at the area surrounding the point of attachment, much less at the areas more remote from the point of attachment of the thermocouple.
Unfortunately, better methods for measuring and/or controlling the temperature on the surface of the microchip, allowing to measure and/or control the temperature at wider areas of the surface, have not been described. Thus, need exists for methods and devices allowing to measure and/or control the temperature at wider areas of the surface of microchips.